GPUpdate.net uses Cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information you’ve provided to them or they’ve collected from your use of their services. See details.

We are not where we want to be, admits Alonso

22 February 2012 – Fernando Alonso spent his second session at the wheel of the Ferrari F2012 on Wedesday, a day where the Italian team spent time testing different exhaust layouts and using flow-vis paint on the rear. Alonso admitted they were not where they want to be at this moment but he remains optimistic.

"At the moment, we are not where we want to be," said the Spaniard. "Nor where we want to be in Australia, but I remain optimistic. We still have six days of testing and we will see how it goes.

"We are trying different components on the exhausts and other areas,” he continued. “Then on the track and back in Maranello, everyone is working hard on analysing the data in order to improve the performance, a job that takes time."

Ferrari promised improvements for the second test and Alonso confirmed that the team had taken a step forward since the previous test in Jerez de la Frontera.

"In Jerez, we said that we would start from a more solid base in Barcelona and that has been the case and we hope it will be the same next week at the final session. Then, we are trying to put everything together to be as well prepared as possible for Melbourne, when we will really understand where we are."

Alonso spoke about the pace of his rivals and how form is so hard to judge from testing: "Red Bull is definitely very strong, as is normal in fact, given how they have gone over the past three years, but you can’t say that McLaren or Mercedes for example, who seem to be behind, are not strong themselves, maybe even more so than Red Bull."

Felipe Massa returns for the team from Maranello on Thursday and Friday.

Social Media

Check out our community:

About us

GPUpdate.net, the daily motorsport news website which is celebrating over a decade of the latest in Formula 1, publicly dates back to 1998.
Founded as F1Racing.net, the online magazine is part of SportUpdate B.V., a registered company operating out of The Netherlands.